Objective:

To analyse the drop out intention of university students after six months of home confinement during the covid-19 pandemic using an ecological model.

Method:

A non-experimental cross-sectional study with an intentional sampling of 1,011 active university students during 2020. Aged between 18 and 54 years (M = 22,6; SD = 4,8; female = 438). We evaluated them with the university dropout questionnaire for students, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, Fear of covid-19 Scales, covid-19 Anxiety syndrome scale, and the Satisfaction with academic changes questionnaire. We performed a descriptive and multivariate analysis of the data.

Results:

The model explain 28 % of drop out intention among university students during confinement by covid-19 (sensitivity = 86,8 %). Dissatisfaction with academic changes is the main predictor of the model (OR = 0,960; IC 95 % [0,950, 0,959). Other significant predictors are positive and negative interactions (i.e., in family, social, and academic environments), negative emotional symptoms, anxiety about covid-19, being older, studying at a private university, and having a family member diagnosed with covid-19.

Discussions:

Macrosystem changes (i.e., home confinement and online classes) during the first six months of the covid-19 pandemic modified the students’ interaction with their proximal systems and new predictors of the intention to drop out emerged (e.g., anxiety about covid-19 and having a family member diagnosed with covid-19), associated with the context of confinement.

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